Gifts Galore

I forgot to mention that yesterday was Nelson Mandela’s birthday (he’s 92), and on the drive to Katse Dam we found ourselves on Nelson Mandela drive. I tell everyone that he is very respected in the US and that makes them so happy and proud. In fact on Friday I heard the students sing a song dedicated to him that translates to “Nelson Mandela, there is no one like him.” I see that every student can sing, and I am told by the staff that they harmonize on their own, that they are not taught how to do so. This morning walking from the guest house to the staff room I am mobbed by a group of kids who want to take my picture, I tell them I feel like a celebrity and they tell me I am one here, ha! who knew. Today I spend most of the day in the computer lab showing classes the video and doing a question and answer period along with distributing little things I brought from the US. When the kids receive the gift they do so with two hands cupped and some clap once or twice first. Once student got so excited about the pencils I was giving out that he yelled “these pencils came all the way from America!” The most interesting group are the ninth graders who, along from wanting to know how old I am and if I know any celebrities, ask how we deal with racism in the US and if things have changed since Obama has become president. I talk about the need for open communication between all different types of people and explain that all people want the same basic things in life and that all races put value on family, friends, education and their health. After all of the classes I do a workshop on designing web pages using HTML code and I help teachers experiment making their pages. They all were able to start pages and I think of how much I will miss teaching the course next year. By now it is time for dinner and I mention to Angela, the principal’s wife, that pizza is one of the main foods in the US (not to mention my favorite), and she knocks on the door later to bring me two slices. I almost don’t want to mention anything I like, because someone here will find a way to get it to me. Soon after Victor and his whole family visit me and bring the most beautiful present, a hand-woven grass mat from Lesotho, that has all of the different items from the tours we have taken over the weekend attached to it. I put two and two together and figure out the two ladies from Lesotho (my roommate and Victor’s wife) bought it for me while I was getting my passport stamped at the border and then hid it in the trunk of the car. I understand more and more that South Africans are a people that delight in surprises. They have taken the time to label everything and I feel it is the perfect gift to remember my time here.